Sliding lid for cabinets



Nov. 26, 1940. w NN 2,223,023

SLIDING LID FOR CABINETS Filed Feb. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jwe/zgr Nov. 26, 1940.

J. WEILEMANN SLIDING LID FOR CABINETS Filed Feb. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 2 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims: (Cl. 220-41) The invention relates to sliding lids for cabinets. The object of .the invention is to provide simple and efllcient means for slidably guiding a pair of lids which, when closed, are coplaner and whichare adapted to pass over one another when either is opened. 1

A feature of the invention consists in providing guiding-means for the lids in their sliding movement which comprises tracks or guides fixed on the cabinet and tracks or guides on the lids. 4

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detail description. I

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. I

In the drawin s: Fig. 1 is a perspective of a refrigerating or cooling cabinet embodying the invention, with the lids closed and portions of the cabinet walls broken away for illustrative purposes. Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the lids, one of them being shown open,the cabinet being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one of the guide shoes which ride on the track section fixed in the cabinet. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of one ofthe guide-shoes which ride on both the track-section fixed to the cabinet and the track-section on the lids. vertical longitudinal section through the lids and one end of the cabinet. Fig; 6 is a section taken on line 8-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a section taken on line i of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a perspective of a cooling cabinet with the lids closed.

The vinvention is embodied in a cooling or refrigerating cabinet ID, the walls of which are hollow and contain insulating material. A door I3 is usually provided in the front of the cabinet to. provide access to the lower portion of the cabinet. R

Lids or doors II and I 2 fit into the opening in the top of the cabinet and, while in their closed position, are coplaner and disposed end-toend to form a top and a closure for the'cabinet. Each lid comprises a rectangular frame built up of side 5 bars l4, an outer, endbar 15 and an inner end bar 16, which are rigidly secured together. Bars I4, 15 and it are each provided with inwardly extending top and bottom flanges which provide channels for retaining a hollow wall which is composed of sheet metal top and bottom plates I8 and 19 having intei'fitting marginal flanges 29 around the sides and ends thereof. The flanges fit in said-channels. A top liner 2| of linoleum fits over the topsheet I9 of the hollow wall and its margins extend under all of the upper flanges Fig. 5 is a in the bars of the rectangular frameon each lid.

- Each lid is provided adjacent its outer end and on each of its sides with a long depending leg 23 which is provided at its lower end with a laterally and outwardly extending shoe 24 and adjacent its inner end on each of its sides with a short depending leg 25 which is provided with an inwardly extending shoe 28. These legs are secured, as by welding or any other suitable way, to the side-bars I4 of the lids. When the lids are closed, shoes 24 rest on incline track-sections 21 which connect with channel-bars 28 which form horizontal track-sections for said shoes 24 after the latter have been lifted vertically to a level where one lid will be elevated above the plane of, 15 and so as to clear, the other lid. Channel-bars 28 .at their inner ends connect with and terminate at upwardly inclined track-sections 29 which are joined by an elevated horizontal track-section 30. I

Shoes 26- on the short legs 25 at the inner ends go of the 'lids,.when the lids are closed, rest on the inner ends of the track-sections 28 adjacent the upwardly inclined track-sections 29. The side bars 4 ofeach of the lids have outwardly extending flanges, the lower I4 of which, while the g5 lid is closed, is aligned with the elevated tracksection 30. Shoes 28 extend inwardly from the legs 25 so that, during the initial inward shift of a lid toward its open position, these shoes will ride on inclined track-sections 29 over tracksection 30 and, during its continuing movement,-\

onto the flange 14 of the closed lid. The in-,

eclined track-sections 21 and 29 for each lid'are substantially parallel so that, when each lid is moved inwardly, both of its ends will be sym- 5 metrically lifted to initially elevate the entire lid above the plane of the closed lid. After the shoes 24 and 28 pass off the inclines 21, 29, respectively, the lid'will be elevated to clear, and be free to move over, the closed lid. After the lid 40 has been elevated, shoes 24' will ride on-tracksection 28 and shoes 28 will rideon track-sections I l on the closed lid.

In operation, the lids will be normally closed, asshown in Figs. 1 and 8, and both of the lids II 'and I2 will be coplaner and fit in end-to-end relation and close the top of the cabinet. VVhen access is to be had to either end of the space in the cabinet, the lid over the portion of the cab-' inet to which access-is desired, will be shifted 5o longitudinally of the cabinet. As the lid is shifted inwardly, shoes 24 and 26 will simul taneously ride upwardly on inclined track-sections 21, 29, respectively, until they. pass onto horizontal track-sections 28 and 30, at which 55 time the shifted lid will be elevated sufliciently to slide over the closed lid. As the movement of the lid is continued to increase the area of the opening, the shoes 24 will ride on the track-sec- 5 tions 28, which are fixed'to the cabinet-wall and end-to-end relation. During the opening and.

closing of a lid, the track-sections 30 serve to switch the shoes 26 onto and ofi the tracksections M A cross-bar 35 extends between and is fixed to, the front and rear walls of the cabinet under. the

track-sections 29, 30. In order to permit the switching of the shoes 26 from the elevated tracksection 30 to the track-section M- on the lids, the inner end bar N5 of each lid terminates over the inner end of the incline track-sections 29 and outwardly of section 30. Each bar I6 is provided with a horizontal flange Hi to reduce the gap between the lids. Each lid has a handle 34 secured to the top thereof. v The invention exemplifies a cabinetwith sliding lids which are adapted to slide over one another and in which the guiding or track-system includes sections fixed to the cabinet-wall and sections on the lids This simplifies the v guide-structure. The lids are also built up of 35 frames and hollow walls with linoleum covers, which makes it possible to utilize the tops of the lids as table space or-for service.

The invention is not to be understood as restrictedto the details set forth, since these 40 may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. v

Having thus describedthe invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. The combination with a cabinet having an opening in the top thereof, of a pair of slidable lids for closing the opening, and arranged in endto-end relation, of a, pair of long depending legs at the outer end of each lid, a pair of short legs depending from the inner end ofeach lid and a track-system for the legs for horizontally guiding one lid over the other, comprising inclined switch-sections inside or and adjacent the outer ends of the cabinet, a pair of inclined switchsections for the short legs at the inner ends of the lids, horizontal track-sections between the upper ends'of the switch-sections for the long legs and the lower ends of the switch-sections for the short legs, and horizontal track-sections on and extending substantially from the inner to the outer end of the lids on which the short legs will ride when raised.

2. The combination with a cabinet having an opening in the top thereof, of a pair of lids for closing said opening and arranged in end-toend relation, a pair of depending legs adjacent,

.each end of, and secured to. the lids, respectively, and provided with shoes extending laterally from the legs and provided with upturned ends and a track-system for the legs for horizontally guiding'one lid over the other and comprising inclined switch-sections and horizontal track-sections between the switch-sections, formed of flanges pro- :iecting inwardly from the inner faces of the wallsof the cabinet.

3. The combination with a cabinet having an opening therein, of a pair of lids in 'end-to-end relation for closing said opening, a pair of depending legs adjacent each end of, and secured to, the lids and provided with shoes extending outwardly and laterally from the legs and provided with inclined ends and a track-system for the legs for slidably guiding one lid over the other, comprising inclined switch-sections, horizontal sections between the inclined sections and formed of flanges projecting inwardly from the faces of the cabinet, and. track-sections formed of flanges extending outwardly from the sides'of the lids.

4. The combination with a cabinet having an opening therein, of a pair of lids in end-to-end lids, the shoes on the legs at the outer ends of the lids projecting from the legs towards the cabinet and the shoes on the-glegs at the inner ends of the lid projecting inwa 'dly from the legs.

OHN WEILEMANN. 

